Monthly Archives: June 2010

Sustainable Architecture – Metal Boxes vs Earthen

Posted on June 30, 2010 by Michael Janzen

This post was sparked by a comment from Steve, one of my long-time readers. In a nutshell, he suggested that people would be much better off living in handmade homes than living in machine-made prefabs. Like most people, modern prefab … Continue reading →

Posted in Sustainable Living | Tagged adobe, cob, earthbag, LEED, prefab, rammed earth, sustainable architecture | 17 Comments

Homestead House by Michael Jantzen

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Michael Janzen

This is the work of a Michael Jantzen, the architect behind the M-Vironments. The Homestead House is a design concept that leverages common agricultural building components to create a simple habitable space. This particular example is not tiny by any means … Continue reading →

Posted in Design Concept | Tagged cluster, concept, corrugated steel, Homestead House, michael jantzen, prefab | 8 Comments

Tiny Houses on NPR

Posted on June 27, 2010 by Michael Janzen

Derek “Deek” Diedricksen and Peter King were featured on NPR this past weekend. Both Deek and Peter are located in New England. Deek has a book out which I’ve reviewed in the past, titled Humble Homes, Simple Shacks…, and is also publishing a … Continue reading →

Posted in Announcement, Video | Tagged Derek Diedricksen, New England, NPR, Peter Kind | Leave a comment

Builders of the Pacific Coast by Lloyd Kahn

Posted on June 27, 2010 by Michael Janzen

Lloyd Kahn is currently working on a new book on tiny houses, and recently contacted me about possibly including a piece on my Tiny Free House. It won’t be long before I’ll need to move my pallet house project closer … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Tagged alternative architecture, book, Builders of the Pacific Coast, handmade homes, Lloyd Kahn, Shelter Publications, sustainable architecture | 4 Comments

Fold Flat Shelter by Adrian Lippmann

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Michael Janzen

This is a novel idea, a small shelter that folds flat for shipping. It’s the creation of Adrian Lippmann, the founder interior design firm form-al. The interior of the basic shelter measures only 8 square meters (86 square feet) but can be … Continue reading →

Posted in Design Concept | Tagged Adrian Lippmann, disaster relief, flatpack, Fold Flat Shelter, shelter | 2 Comments

Michael Janzen Interview on Rowdy Kittens

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Michael Janzen

Recently Tammy Strobel interviewed me for her blog, Rowdy Kittens. I’ve known Tammy for a couple years now, through the tiny house movement. Tammy’s life & work is focused on the topic of simple living and she currently lives a … Continue reading →

Posted in Announcement | Tagged michael janzen, Rowdy Kittens, Tammy Strobel, tiny house design | 5 Comments

Open Thread on Tumbleweed Popomo Plans

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Michael Janzen

The Tumbleweed Tiny House Company has given away a lot of Popomo plans this week, available with the purchase of the Small House Book. I’m curious to hear what people thought about the quality and value of these tiny house plans. … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Plans | Tagged free plans, Popomo, tumbleweed | 29 Comments

Tiny Space – Hidden Kitchen

Posted on June 23, 2010 by Michael Janzen

The designers at Centrala invented this simple solution for maximizing space for this tiny 200 square foot apartment in Warsaw, Poland. The center piece is a hidden kitchen that folds-out and takes on new forms to serve a variety of … Continue reading →

Posted in Interior Design | Tagged apartment, Centrala, interior design, kitchen, Poland, Warsaw | 1 Comment

Hands Across The Sand – June 26, 2010

Posted on June 23, 2010 by Michael Janzen

This is almost totally off topic but 50,000 people read this blog every month so I’m going to take a moment to help raise awareness of this event. And you know, where are we going to park our tiny houses … Continue reading →

Posted in Sustainable Living | Tagged energy, Hands Across The Sand, oil | Leave a comment

Tumbleweed House Plans – Free with Book Purchase

Posted on June 22, 2010 by Michael Janzen

Jay & Steve over at Tumbleweed Tiny House Company sent me a copy of these plans to preview a few days ago and I must say… I’m extremely impressed with the professional quality of the plans and design. They are really … Continue reading →